Yesterday we, Kata and I, got up before the crack of dawn with pouring rain and blowing wind outside to get ready to go to our first agility show as "Excellent" entries in jumpers with weaves and standard at a trial in Dexter, Michigan which is just to the west of Ann Arbor near I-94.
I fed and pottied the dogs, showered and shaved, packed lunch and supplies, and then Kata and I boarded (a perfectly appropriate word here) the car and set out in the pitch black of what felt like the middle of the night. The rain and puddles of water along 94 in Detroit were horrendous. I was sure we were going to have an accident. My nerves were frazzled by the time we got to the show site at about 7:15 a.m. Kata, like the Viking trooper she is, slept the whole way. Her ancestors, after all, one thousand years ago came all the way from Scandinavia in the Viking long boats to Iceland in the frozen waters of the mid-Atlantic and then lived for generations on glaciers, bogs and volcanic rock.
At about 7:20 they started the "obsessive walk throughs" for the jumpers with weaves. We boggled the weaves because I was on the right side of the weaves which is the wrong side for us. Yes. we can do them with me on the right of the weaves and we often practice that in class but our preferred side
while we are still learning is the "obedience" or left side. I should have listened to myself. Well meaning people sometimes try to talk me into doing things a "better" way and I usually do not listen - it's my nickel, after all. Unfortunately this time I listened to them.
It's my fault that we NQ'd.
Later we were waiting in line to do the excellent standard course and there was an unusually long delay. Kata was getting bored and someone suggested that I play with her to wake her up before we went into the ring. I never do that. Kata responds very quickly once we are in the ring. I was bored; she was bored; we played a bit and she really did wake up - - - so much so that almost as soon as we went into the ring, she started doing any obstacle that she liked. She NEVER has done that. It was totally out of character and, once again, I blame myself. She does not need to get motivated out of the ring. I've seen other dogs run around the ring and have felt bad for the handler. I hope people felt bad for me.
The NQ was again my fault. What do they say? Dog needs new handler.
I know my Kata and she knows me. We do not need advice in the show ring and I will not listen to anyone again.
In the practice ring during class I will listen to anyone who wants us to try something new - BUT NEVER AGAIN IN THE RING WHEN WE'VE ACTUALLY PAID MONEY TO ENTER.
I think walking through the ring practicing turns and foot work three times is always a great idea but I think I can overdo it - sometimes I practice so much that I flub things once we start.
So today we stayed home, slept in, read and rested instead of going back to Dexter for the second day of the three day trial. Depending on how we feel on Sunday, we may also skip tomorrow or go. I will not enter any show again that accepts registrations at 7:00 a.m. and starts at 8:00 a.m. and is that far away. It's just very simply too hard. I need a good night's rest in order to be awake for the trials. It's not an age related thing. I have always been that way.
(Click once or twice on the photos to enlarge them. Kata's eyelashes, once black, have lightened up I think.)
